T ensions understandably were high.

Kenny Chesney fans turned Heinz Field parking lots into steamy, smelly landfills while tailgating before the country singer's June 22 concert. Heavy equipment had to be brought in to clean up the estimated 30,000 tons of garbage.

The Woodstock-worthy amount of debris made national news and sparked a “Ban Kenny Chesney from Pittsburgh” Facebook page that nearly 8,000 people have “liked.” The incident caused apprehension in advance of the follow-up concert at the stadium on Saturday.

A city wondered: Would Taylor Swift fans behave as abhorrently as Chesney revelers?

Though it was impossible to be 100 percent certain until the pop star took the stage, the reasonable prediction to make was no.

The Chesney crowd is older than the Swift brigade, many of whom are navigating the choppy waters between seventh and eighth grade this summer. When Swift's fans drink to excess, they can't get to sleep because of the extra caffeine in all the Diet Pepsi they downed.

That's hardly the only difference between fans of the two artists.

Example: Swift must be overjoyed that during the four months of her tour, not a single fan was accused of answering nature's call in public. As was proved in Pittsburgh, Chesney fans aren't nearly so patient when it comes to waiting for the Porta-Potties. Nor are they shy.

But their fan bases have other significant differences that indicated the area surrounding the stadium probably wouldn't resemble that of a third-world refugee camp with a predilection for chicken wings following Swift's finale.

Let's compare and contrast:

• Collective nickname

Swift fans: Swifties

Chesney fans: Sloppies

• Couldn't leave home for the stadium without bringing

Swift fans: Lip gloss and wrist bracelets

Chesney fans: A bucket to serve as a Porta-Potty alternative when the lines are too long.

• Most likely to arrive at venue with

Swift fans: Baby sitters

Chesney fans: Beer cases

• Favorite preconcert activity

Swift fans: Swift sing-alongs

Chesney fans: Fistfights

• Item they are most likely to lose in the parking lot

Swift fans: An earring

Chesney fans: Their lunch

• Chew of choice

Shift fans: Dubble Bubble bubblegum

Chesney fans: Red Man tobacco

• Most likely to set off stadium metal detectors with

Swift fans: Their braces

Chesney fans: Their enormous belt buckles

• Most likely to be found in female fans' purses

Swift fans: Red lipstick

Chesney fans: Technicolor hurl

• Most likely to leave stadium with

Swift fans: Souvenir posters

Chesney fans: Intoxication citations

• Largest problem in getting home

Swift fans: Post-concert traffic

Chesney fans: Making bail.

Eric Heyl is a Trib Total Media staff writer. He can be reached at 412-320-7857 or eheyl@tribweb.com.

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